Wolverines Ups & Downs: Who Stood Out In A Win Over Purdue?

There really is no such a thing as a ‘bad win,’ but Michigan’s 21-16 win over Purdue might fit neatly into the ‘ugly win’ category.

The Wolverines weren’t supposed to have an issue with the Boilermakers. With Purdue still searching for its first Big Ten win since 2023 and Michigan back on its home turf, not many people thought the Boilermakers had a shot. Still, the Wolverines needed all four quarters to put them away for good.

Whether Michigan won by five points or 50, the tick in the win column is no different at the end of the day. Regardless, the Wolverines’ upcoming bye week provides much-needed time to work out the kinks and get healthy again.

Here’s four ‘Ups’ and two ‘Downs’ from Michigan’s narrow win over Purdue…

Starting in place of junior running back Justice Haynes, who was wearing a boot and riding a scooter on the sidelines, sophomore running back Jordan Marshall had yet another excellent game. 

On 25 carries, Marshall gained 185 yards and collected three touchdowns. He also added in a 25-yard reception, bringing his total yardage up to 210. Marshall did it all. Whether it was showing off his speed in the open field or carrying the pile an extra five yards, he dominated in every facet he could.

Losing a Heisman candidate-level running back in Haynes to injury, but not losing much production — if any at all — is a massive luxury for the Wolverines. Michigan certainly hopes that Haynes can return as quickly as possible, but with Marshall in the backfield, it’s still in very good hands.

With his performance Saturday night, senior edge rusher Derrick Moore collected his third-straight game with two sacks. Both came in the first quarter, and the second forced a fumble while Purdue was in the red zone.

With senior Jaishawn Barham moving back to the linebacker position due to injuries at that position — and then subsequently leaving the game with an injury himself — Moore shouldered a bigger responsibility in the pass rush. It didn’t seem to faze him, as he was just as disruptive as he was the two weeks prior.

If Barham is out for an extended period, or is forced back to the linebacker position, Moore’s emergence as a legitimate force at the edge becomes even more important.

For the second week in a row, freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood had a rough game. But also for the second week in a row, he walks away as the winning quarterback. Regardless of the outcome of the game, throwing 13-for-22 for 145 yards and an interception, along with a near-goal line fumble, isn’t a stat line Underwood wants to make a habit of producing.

Underwood was a few feet here and there away from having a really solid game. He overthrew and underthrew several receivers that were end-zone bound had the ball been placed better, and he had two red zone turnovers. A couple of those plays go his way, and the narrative around his performance flips.

But they didn’t go his way, and he has an extra week of practice to work on what he needs to work on before the fourth quarter of the season commences.

It’s not fair to praise only the running back for a dominant running performance, because the big guys up front deserve credit, too. They consistently created solid holes for Marshall to burst through, and helped push him forward for those couple extra yards when they could.

For an offensive line that has been riddled with injury, they’ve really come into their own as a group. They haven’t been perfect, and it’s hard to stack up against the 2021 and 2022 iterations that won the Joe Moore Award, but they’ve performed quite well despite their youth and lack of continuity. 

Michigan’s linebacker room, which was its deepest group for much of the season, has been decimated by injuries recently. Sophomore Cole Sullivan left the game last week against Michigan State, senior Jimmy Rolder was ruled out prior to Saturday’s contest, and Barham left in the first quarter Saturday night with an apparent injury.

Thus, a lot of responsibility fell on the shoulders of senior linebacker Ernest Hausmann to hold it down. He had a very solid game, leading the team in total tackles with 11 (eight solo), with one being a tackle for loss. The hope is that the Wolverines can get their linebackers healthy again, but Hausmann stepped up when they needed him.

Michigan was missing a large handful of big contributors, and it showed against Purdue. Alongside Haynes, Sullivan, Rolder, and Barham, graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley also left the game with an apparent injury.

The Wolverines have a bye week up next, which should give some of these guys time to recover and return to the field. Without them, Michigan just isn’t the same caliber of team. While they could get by against the Boilermakers in this state, the Wolverines might not be able to topple tougher opponents this short-handed.

Graduate edge rusher TJ Guy picked up a sack for the second week in a row, his second on the season…Junior tight end Zack Marshall snagged three catches for 58 yards to lead all Wolverines, continuing his solid stretch…Graduate defensive lineman Rayshaun Benny had a really solid game, collecting six tackles, assisting on a tackle for loss, and recovering a fumble.